The Stare Down
by abysmal2218
Summary: Series of one-shots between 1xR! All centered around the mundane things that make up a relationship, because the mundane is beautiful. No chronological time frame.
1. Stare Down

The Stare Down

He sat there, staring. He wasn't blinking and hadn't for at least a full minute. She had to squint her eyes to keep them from watering up. She had to win this argument. She just _had_ to. The future of their relationship rested on the outcome of this quarrel.

It was starting to be too much. It was becoming more of an issue not to bust into fits of girlish giggles than keeping her eyes from blinking, therefore forfeiting the argument. That wouldn't do. She should be use to his stoic expression after all these years, but sometimes it would still make her smile. She thought sometimes she could read his mind and that was what was so amusing. She wouldn't normally think about things during such life changing events. She usually didn't think of what Duo would do in this situation; must be his mind. His only relation to normal human behavior is from Duo.

It would only be normal for Relena to be able to read Heero's mind. She wasn't claiming to be an empath like Quatre, by any means. But, after spending seven years together, not necessarily intimately, she felt she knew Heero Yuy the best out of everyone. His mind wasn't always strategic and ten steps ahead of everyone. Most often than not, he was thinking about his future in this peaceful world he helped create with Relena. A future she didn't see very often in her mind because her job was constantly reminding her to focus on the present and the chaotic problems around the Earth's Sphere and Colonies.

But, at this very moment, she was finally enjoying a moment in the present, because, like all things, it carried weight into the future. She was enjoying staring into Heero's dark Prussian eyes. He didn't normally let her do such a thing unless it was during a very intense discussion where eye contact was essential. Lack of eye contact would ultimately mean guilt and deceit.

She smiled at him, trying to break his gaze. She knew he was always drawn to her genuine smile.

"No." he stated.

"Please?" she tried not to come off as begging.

"No." he stated again.

She maintained her eye contact, but forced her bottom lip to protrude out in a faux pout. Another trick he always fell for….not this time.

"I said no."

"You're mistaken. It's a great idea."

"It's a terrible idea. You travel too much." He reasoned.

She stuck her lip out further. Her eyes were watering now. She'd have to give up. She couldn't, though. Her pride was too strong for her to wave a white flag this easily. She'd have to change tactics. She leaned forward in her leather chair, diminishing the little space there was between the two. She was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

"Heero, it really isn't as big of a deal as you are making it out to be. It's not like no one is around to help."

"No." he said again.

"You're terribly stubborn, Heero Yuy."

"As are you, Relena Darlian."

She impressed herself with her control of eye contact. She's never lasted this long before. Her eyes were starting to hurt, though. She pride would just have to take a serious blow this time. She _was_ competing against the Perfect Soldier.

She broke her gaze. She sighed in defeat. She fell back into her chair and hissed out of contempt. She kept her sight off of him, not wanting to see the smug look of victory on his normally stoic face. With victory, he was never impassive. She rubbed her eyes, trying to moisten them again. They watered uncontrollably. She wiped the tears away quickly, not wanting to ruin her make up. She did have a press conference in a half hour.

"Fine." Heero suddenly said.

She blinked back a few more fresh tears, looking at him suddenly. "What?"

"I said okay." He crossed his arms, looking defeated.

Her jaw dropped. Tears? Tears are Heero Yuy's weakness? It took her a moment to process his agreement. She finally smiled and jumped from her seat and into his lap. She quickly covered his face with kisses and laughed.

He pushed her away gently, still wounded from his forfeit. "What kind of puppy do you want?"


	2. Filthy

Her head shot up at the sound of her office door opening. She hadn't heard the footsteps down the hallway, but it wasn't surprising. Her carpet was a soft plush that consumed any noise made. She looked up expectantly, waiting to see if all her wishing would come true. Once the figure appeared completely before her, she crinkled her nose in disgust. It wasn't an attractive look on her petite face. She looked as if something foul was under her nose.

She processed the sight for a moment longer then released a heavy sigh, deciding that the figure was far enough away that the stench would not assault her senses. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

It was coming and she knew it.

The figure moved towards her and she screamed.

"HEERO YUY, DO NOT TAKE ONE STEP ON MY WHITE CARPET WITH YOUR NASTY BOOTS!"

He stopped, and Relena saw his lips turn slightly upwards. She stood, but didn't move any closer to him. She watched as Heero began to remove his dark brown military boots in the doorway. Once removed, he tossed them into the hallway and tried to take another step towards her. She held up her hands. She wasn't smiling like she had hoped she would when he came back to her.

He was covered from head to toe in dirt and dust. His usual unruly hair was so greasy that most of his bangs were slicked back from when he ran a hand through his hair. His usually well shaven face was covered in a thin beard. She knew he would smell foul and she berated herself for not wanting to touch him because of the filth. What did she expect when he left for an undercover mission for two weeks? He obviously wasn't anywhere that had plumbing.

"I missed you." He said suddenly, taking one step closer.

"I missed you too. How was the mission?" She asked, taking in a deep breath.

"Successful. Duo kept me entertained." He took another step.

"I thought Trowa was going to be with you?" She exhaled.

"No, he had circus business. Duo was the last resort." He added another step.

She nodded, not wanting to continue talking. He was getting closer and she could almost smell his body odor.

"How have you been? Working all night and day since I wasn't there to make sure you slept?" he took yet another step.

"Of course, it's what I do best." She inhaled deeply.

"Not anymore." He whispered, slipping an arm around her waist finally. He smiled at her, waiting for her to exhale. She couldn't hold her breath for very long. He had all the patience in the world when it came to her. He would hold her all night if he had too. She exhaled, shutting her eyes in shame. However, she didn't smell dirt and body odor, but a floral scent she recognized.

She gave him a confused look.

His smile grew wider, "Sally sprayed us down with her perfume the moment we stepped off the plane."


	3. Agony

I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing! It means so much to me! THANK YOU!

Agony

He lay there, writhing in pain. He was shrieking in agony. He didn't know what to do. He was dying. He had to be dying. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead and he clutched on to his right arm. His arm was on fire. He couldn't handle it any longer. He screamed louder as his muscles tensed in the pain.

Surely, he was dying.

His mind was clouded. He couldn't concentrate on anything else. He didn't want the tears to break through, but he wasn't sure how much more he could handle it.

Slowly, the pain faded slightly. He was panting and heaving. His chest ached. Then his ears perked up and a soft tapping sound. Slowly, he pushed himself off of the soft plush carpet. The tapping was made by a high heeled foot; his gaze traveled up the leg, over the curvy hips, thin waist, and finally resting on the face. Her face was stern set and an eyebrow cocked. Her hands were on her hips. She wasn't taking pity on him and his agony. She was completely apathetic. He was in complete and total pain and she didn't care.

"Are you done?" She asked hotly.

Heero sighed, pushing himself in a kneeling position. "You could have helped me."

Relena scowled, leaning closer to his face. "Help you how?"

"I was in pain; you could have comforted me a little?"

"Are you in need of attention, Heero? Don't I give you enough already? You're not a child."

He sat back down on his heels, defeated. He didn't look at her as she walked around him and back to her desk. His arm was tingling again; the scorching fire would surely consume his arm once again. He had just come back from the Preventer's Hospital and Dr. Sally Po- Chang told him that he was going to fine. He left furious. She obviously didn't understand how much pain he was in.

"Did you get your prescription?" Relena asked, sorting through a large stack of papers.

"No." He replied, pouting.

Relena didn't say anything else, but sighed heavily. They sat there in silence for several long minutes. Finally, she gave in. "Heero, I'm sorry you're in pain, but you can't get better until you take your medicine and do the exercises Sally has given you."

"I don't understand how this happened to me. I'm the so-called 'Perfect Soldier', right? How did I get this?"

Relena couldn't help but smile at his self-pity. "It doesn't mean you're weak. It means you did too much and it got irritated. Relax for a few days and you'll be back to normal."

He grunted, not convinced.

"By the way, where did your modesty go? You never call yourself the Perfect Soldier."

Heero smiled slightly. He was hanging around the Junior Preventers too much. He couldn't help but get an ego around them since they always looked at him in awe.

"You don't realize how much you use your bicep until you can't use it anymore." Heero pouted again.

"Bicep Tendonitis is easily fixed. Take your medicine, Heero Yuy."

{A.N.} I understand that Heero might seem a little OOC, but I did it on purpose. I wrote this because I have Bicep Tendonitis and it hurts A LOT! I wasn't nearly as dramatic as he was but I wanted to be. I actually might have to get surgery on my arm if it doesn't go away. Nine months of this pain.


	4. Drunkenness

**I'm on a roll today! Maybe I'm just really bored. **

**Anyway, ENJOY!**

Drunkenness

"You know what name I really like?" Relena said, running a finger over his jaw line.

"Hn."

"Barnaby."

"How trashed are you?" Heero asked, trying not to laugh.

"I'm super. How are you?" She said, slurring slightly.

"I'm sober. You dedicated me to be the DD, remember?"

It was true. Heero decided that she should be the one to enjoy Hilde and Duo's engagement party more. She had been stressed out at work lately. She also had a large speech to prepare by the end of the weekend. However, she freed her schedule just so she could attend the party. She and Hilde weren't the best of friends, but they were close since Heero and Duo were friends. They could always be seen together at Preventer parties or on the rare occasions Duo convinced Heero to have a double date with him.

Relena suddenly shifted next to him, rubbing her stomach.

"Are you getting sick?" Heero asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road, but still be concerned with the wellbeing of his girlfriend.

"No, I can hold it." She waved her hand dismissively.

"It's not urine, Relena. If you're going to get sick, let me know. I can always pull over." Heero barked.

"It can wait. We're pretty close to home."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "We're still a half hour away."

"Oh…"

Heero continued driving, listening intending to the woman next to him. She moved around in the seat, breathing deeply. It wasn't until she started hiccupping that he pulled over. He rolled down the window for her and waited. She was stubborn even when it came to getting sick. She held it back until her body forced her to release the toxins.

After a few moments, she sat up straight, smiling at him. "Got you! I'm not sick."

Heero glared at her, still waiting. Within a few seconds she threw up. All the alcohol came out of her mouth and onto the seat. He didn't flinch, though. He prepared himself for it. She hadn't eaten anything that night and enjoyed more than a couple drinks. Somehow Duo had convinced her to join him in a shot contest. Luckily for her, Heero rescued her before she caught up with Duo.

Here was the result. No food and lots of alcohol.

Heero rubbed her back gently. "Good thing Wufei let us borrow his car."


	5. Massacre

Inspiration has smacked me over the head with a baseball bat….or it's the Gundam Wing marathons I have every night. Anyway, here's another fun story.

Massacre

Relena stood stalk still. If she had to give one word to describe the scene before her it would be: massacre. Blood was everywhere. All of her flowers and shrubs were in complete disarray. She was shocked and disgusted. Fury was slowing rising in her chest. She took one look at her companion and realized she was not at fault.

Hilde stood next to her, jaw hanging wide open. The German girl's eyes were wide in shock. This was such a vicious scene.

Suddenly, a large explosion came from the forest behind the Darlian estate. It was just supposed to be a casual tea date. Not a war. The ones responsible would definitely pay. Relena's nostrils flared in anger and she slowly took off in a brisk stride towards the commotion. Hilde reached for her friend, gripping her arm tightly.

"Don't. It's not safe."

"I don't care." Relena twisted her arm out of Hilde's grasp and continued on her way.

Relena stepped over fallen tree branches and uprooted rose bushes. Her tire swing was twisted, limply hanging near the ground. Her fence was destroyed. Hilde followed close behind her; the soldier in her was on guard and knew to protect Relena from any dangers. She was startled when Relena cried out sharply.

Relena was furious now. Her strategically placed yard gnomes were destroyed. It had taken her hours to put them exactly where she wanted them! If possible, Relena picked up her already brisk pace, leaving Hilde behind momentarily. To say that Hilde was frightened of the Vice Foreign Minister was an understatement. She was terrified. Heero had told her that she wasn't someone to mess with when she was angry. Now she knew why.

A few minutes later, Relena and Hilde came into a clearing somewhere in the forest. The sight was ungodly. Blood was covering the trees and earth. In the middle of it all, was Heero towering over a grossly bloody Duo, gun in hand. Quatre and Trowa watched on as their comrade was about to kill again in so many years. Relena didn't miss their amused expressions.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Relena screamed.

All the boys stopped and looked at her, fear now on Heero's face.

"Sorry Miss Relena." Quatre piped up.

She ignored him, walking over to Heero and Duo. She reached for the gun in her boyfriend's hand, resisting the urge to smack him across the face.

"Explain."

"He came at me like a mad man, Princess! I didn't do anything wrong!" Duo was pleading, trying to get away.

"Heero, explain."

"He was inappropriate." He responded monotonously.

"Duo's always inappropriate. Why is that such a shock?"

"I can handle most of the things he says, but when he comments about _you_ inappropriately I need to set him straight."

Relena looked down to Duo as he army crawled towards Hilde. "Oh, okay. Just keep it out of my garden. You boys owe me now."

Relena stepped over Duo, not being terribly careful if she stepped on his fingers or braid. Hilde laughed loudly as Heero drug the braided pilot back into the fight.

"I just don't understand how they can destroy so much without explosives." Relena queried.

Hilde laughed again, "They're boys. They can destroy anything with just their hands."


	6. Nag

**All of it is dialogue for a reason. I got a little confused too. Enjoy!**

**NAG**

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What are we doing?"

"I'm working on a report and I have no idea what you're doing. I never do."

"No, I mean, us. What are we doing together?"

"I don't know. We never really labeled it. Just friends, I guess."

"Friends that sleep together?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do you want to be anything more than that?"

"Like what? I like what we're doing, but I'm not opposed to moving forward. Is that what you want? I never figured you'd want to take this seriously since all we ever do is stay inside. It's almost like you're ashamed of me."

"That's not it at all! I would love to make this an exclusive, serious relationship. You just never seemed to want to do anything else with me. The only people that know we're _together_ are our friends."

"What do you want?"

"I want something more."

"Okay."

"Okay? That's it? All you have to say is okay?"

"Yeah. What else do you want me to say?"

"That you want this as much as I do."

"I do."

"That wasn't convincing."

"Oh my goodness, Heero! Stop nagging me and just accept that we now have a label on our relationship!"

"Hn."


	7. Proposal

Proposal

She sighed heavily, not trying to hide her frustration. She sat on her bed, picking the lint off of her worn teddy bear. She refused to look up at the heavy weight tipping the mattress. Other than her heavy sighing that was becoming more frequent, the room was silent.

She was growing impatient. He had yet to give her an answer. All she wanted was a yes or no. No explanations needed.

"Heero—"she started to say but was cut off by a deep growl.

"I was a Gundam pilot. I shouldn't be forced to make this kind of decision." He said hotly.

"Being a Gundam pilot doesn't have anything to do with this. Yes or no, Heero Yuy." Relena was becoming even more infuriated. He was being stubborn for no reason.

"It'd be different if you wanted another dog or something, but this is a big decision. I need more time to think about this."

"Goodness sakes, Heero. You're overthinking it." She finally threw the matted teddy bear down with a little more strength than anticipated. The bear hit the bed, bouncing off and landing on the floor. Heero immediately grunted. She was sure he took it personal that the bear landed on the floor.

She ignored him, lying back on the bed. She'd much rather get some much needed sleep than argue with Heero. She'd take a nap while he thought his decision over. It wasn't anything dire, but she asked it while her mind was on the idea. No big deal, she thought.

She felt herself doze off, mind edging near the R.E.M. of sleep when Heero stood up from the bed. She reached out for him out of habit. She had forgotten that they were nearing a fight. He took her hand and pulled. The movement shook her back into consciousness that instantly angered her. If he was going to continue being stubborn she wouldn't hold back. Every foul thing she had in her mind would be unloaded onto him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You should get ready."

"Did you just agree to dinner?" she was shocked. She was really hoping he'd say no. He was the one that could easily deny the dinner invitation without being considered rude.

"Yeah, I guess. I can handle Dorothy when she's with Quatre."


	8. Ice Cream

Ice Cream

He frowned. It was 3 a.m. and there was an enormous line in the grocery store. Why were there so many people out this late? He had a valid excuse. These people seemed to just be wasting his time. Their carts full of food, taking up the only available register in the store. He'll be waiting a good twenty minutes. He had all the patience in the world and could wait hours, but he only had three items, so someone should have allowed him to go first. Wasn't that social manners?

His hands were going numb from the ice cream. The heat of his body was surely melting it, but it was cool enough to numb his palms until it was all milk. He didn't know why Relena would want ice cream and pickles at three in the morning. She usually didn't like ice cream and it was December.

Whatever she wanted though.

He didn't question it at all. He simply nodded, pulled on his shoes and left. Only when he was about to close the door did she tell him what _kind_ of ice cream she wanted; mint chocolate chip. Why? Why mint chocolate chip? He knew almost everything about her and she never ate mint chocolate chip ice cream. She rarely ate ice cream. She always ate pickles, though. That wasn't nearly as surprising.

"Hey buddy!" said a voice; the most annoying voice on the planet at 3 a.m.

Heero turned to see his "best" friend, Duo Maxwell strolling up beside him, smile plastered on his face like always. In his arms was a gallon of vanilla bean ice cream, salt and vinegar potato chips, hot dogs, and cottage cheese.

Heero frowned at him, turning his attention away. There wasn't any other register available and Heero was the last customer in line, so naturally Duo was going to be next to him for the next twenty minutes.

"What are you doing out so late?" Duo somehow patted Heero on the back.

"Getting food for Relena."

"Relena? Ice cream, pickles, and steak?"

"The steak is for me." Heero grunted. "Relena just wanted the ice cream and pickles."

Duo grinned at his friend, "Yeah, Hilde craved ice cream and pickles at the beginning of her pregnancy too. Now it's all kinds of things. She'll be eating this ice cream with the potato chips as a scoop."

Heero grunted, only half listening. It took a moment for Duo's words to hit him. _Too?_

"Duo, Relena's not pregnant."

His long haired friend laughed loudly, "Heero, buddy, she is. She sent you to the store at three in the morning for the most commonly craved foods. Congratulations."

**A.N. I don't think this is my funniest one, but I realized I didn't have too many from Heero's POV. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for all the reviews! You guys are great!**


	9. Unromantic

**A.N. I have writer's block on my novel so I'm just going to write these stories until it's gone. :)**

Unromantic

"You know, I use to think you hated me."

Heero sighed heavily, "Are we on that again?"

"No, just thinking out loud." Relena pouted, pushing the food around on her table. She wasn't really trying to start this conversation again, but every once in a while she needed to reassured that he was here because he _wanted_ to.

She couldn't understand why one day he decided that he was ready for her. Why he all of the sudden wanted to try to be around her for longer than a few days. She was even more confused why he was speaking to her _kindly_. He never was a fluffy kind of guy, and still wasn't, but she could tell he was trying to say nice things to her. He was criticizing her anymore either.

But Heero knew what she was thinking. He also knew that no matter what he said to convince her that he was here to stay, she would always doubt it. He had told her countless times that he came back on his own. No one had ordered him to. No one had coerced him. It was a peaceful time and so he wasn't needed for anything. She wasn't a main target anymore.

Besides, the only real assassination attempts on her life were from him.

He sighed again, pushing his dinner aside. "I was planning something special, but this might be just as good of a moment as now."

Relena looked up at him confused. She watched as he walked away from the table and out into the hallway. He left her.

_Once again, _she thought bitterly.

He returned only a minute later, one corner of his mouth was tilted upward. He didn't return to his seat but grabbed Relena. He had always been strong and she knew it, but he had never manhandled her like he was doing now. He threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started walking. The only thing she could do was wriggle in his hold. She knew it was futile, but she wanted to feel like she was putting up a good fight.

"Stop moving. You're ruining the mood." He said flatly.

She stopped, becoming deadweight on his shoulder. After another minute or two of his unaltered walking he stopped and tossed her on a bed.

"Really? You had to carry me up here just because you want sex? Can't it wait?" Relena asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She was not in the mood for sex. She didn't know why he would even think she was.

"That would be nice, but no."

He moved. Surprising Relena completely, he kneeled in front of her. She couldn't help but widen her eyes. She was able to mask her face just as well as him, except when it came to him.

"I actually don't have a speech prepared, but…." He started, staring at her ankles then slowly moving his eyes upward. "I do love you, whether you believe me or not. If I didn't love you I wouldn't be here. You saved my life just as many times as I tried to take yours."

She laughed lightly.

"I promised myself when we were fifteen to protect you. I didn't realize until later that I made that promise because I respect you and love you."

"Are you proposing to me?" Relena interrupted.

"That was the idea."

"Oh… okay, continue."

Heero sighed, "I love it that you can ruin a romantic moment like this and expect it to go back. I love it that you can convince an entire room of stuffy old delegates with just a few words. I love it that you can handle so much stress just by reminding yourself that it's for the peace. I love you for working so hard to create peace because you didn't want me to fight anymore. I want to protect you by your side and not just in the shadows. So, Relena Darlian, will you marry me?"

That was it. He didn't pull out a velvet box. He didn't hold her hand. There wasn't any kind of physical affection to let her know this was a personal moment.

"Really?" She watched him carefully when he nodded.

"Is there going to be anything to seal the deal?"

"You can get your ring when you say yes. I don't want your decision to be based on the size and shape of a piece of jewelry."

This time Relena sighed. She sat there a moment, thinking it over. She already knew her answer, but she wanted to make him sweat, although, he didn't seem nervous at all.

"Of course, Heero. You knew I was going to say yes."


	10. Boredom

**This is silly. Something I had started a while ago, but lost interest. I finished it and it came out like this. Not my best work, but it makes me feel better to have this completed. **

Boredom

"I feel like I should be doing something productive." Relena sighed heavily, throwing her magazine to the side of the bed.

"You do something productive every day. Relax a little." Heero said, not looking away from his always present laptop.

She stared at it for a moment. He really did always have it. Even when he looked like he didn't, somehow he pulled it out of thin air and was working. Whenever they were at a concert or eating lunch at a local deli, he had it. What the hell did he do on it all the time?

"What are you working on?" She asked, standing up to walk over to him.

Immediately, he closed his computer and tucked it away in his desk. Relena frowned, shoving her way onto his lap. He didn't resist, but laxly held onto her waist. She traced his features, until he made eye contact with her.

"What would you like to do?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Talk to you. What are you always working on?"

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes maliciously. "Not a good enough answer."

"Sally asked me to retype some files. That's all."

He was a liar, but she was going to let it slide for the moment. She would have to check herself since he wasn't going to tell her anything. They'd been dating for two years now and she _still_ didn't know what he did. She knew he would occasionally help out the Preventers, but other than that he was always typing. She had gotten use to the clicking sounds, almost putting her to sleep at night, but now it was grating in her nerves.

She was on vacation, which meant he was too.

"It's almost lunch time, Heero. What would you like?" She got up from his lap, taking only two steps before he moved her back to the bed.

"I'll make it. It's your vacation."

"I'm not disabled! I can make my own food." She retorted angrily, but inside smiling widely.

He didn't respond, only walking out without even asking her what she wanted to eat. He never had to ask, anyway. She moved instantly; jumping up from the bed and to his desk. She could be stealthy if need be. His laptop was thin, nearly passing as a stack of folders which is probably how he gets away with caring it everywhere. She frowned, opening it and was faced with a blue screen.

_Password_?

"Of course." She sighed exasperatedly.

Relena had no idea what Heero Yuy would make his password. It was probably a strange combination of numbers and letters that would only make sense to him. She wasn't going to give up that easily, however. She typed in the first thing that came to her mind.

Zero. Incorrect.

Relena. The screen turned black and loaded. She was dumbfounded. Her name was his password! She was kidding when she had typed it. Now she was excited. She was about to learn her boyfriend's longtime secret.

Her shoulders slumped when his computer loaded and the only thing that was active was a file. She clicked it and read that it was indeed about Preventer's case history. She didn't want to read that. She could find all of this information out on her own. A simple phone call and she had just as much access to these files as Heero did. Hell, even as much as Une.

She minimized it, scanning his desktop for something a little more interesting. _Pictures!_ Double clicking the folder, hundreds of pictures showed up. There were some of Duo, Trowa, and even Quatre. Someone had taken pictures of Heero. There were a few group pictures, all of them in their Preventer's uniforms. She couldn't help but smile. However, there at the bottom was another folder labeled _Love._

She rolled her eyes, assuming it was going to be of Wing Zero or their dog. Heero didn't like to admit it, but he was fond of the little husky. Sure enough, there was the dog. There was the dog and herself. Scrolling through the pictures more the more she saw of herself.

She cursed under her breath when she saw a few taken while she was sleeping. He had a lot of nerve. This was interesting, but she had been hoping to catch him doing something. She was hoping he'd have a stash of porn or music that wouldn't normally be associated with Heero. She just wanted _something_ to blackmail him later on in life.

"I don't ever lie to you." She jumped at the sound of Heero's voice.

He was smiling. She had been caught going through his computer and he was _smiling!_ She almost felt like slapping him. He had been keeping nothing at all from her. She had asked him a many times what he was doing on that stupid computer. He must have known it was only a matter of time before she hacked in.

She smiled, pushing past him. She had nothing to say to him. At least she knew he wasn't nearly as creative as everyone thought he was. She giggle a little, sitting on her bed to eat the lunch he brought up.

"Your password is my name. Wait until I tell Duo."

**Eh?**


	11. Plans

**Humor came back**. **This is what I get for trying to fall asleep and thinking about Gundam Wing.**

Plans

"I think the theme should be yellow and blue. Is that all right with you, Heero?" Relena asked, crossing things off on her clipboard.

"Okay."

"The guest list has also grown to be quite large. I think I counted about 250 guests." She frowned.

"Okay."

"You'll need to finish your vows, as well."

"Okay."

Now she was irate. He wasn't even listening to her. "Oh, by the way, I'm a cannibal so the main course is going to be human flesh."

"Okay."

"I think we should hire a DJ instead of having a band because Duo wants to play."

"Okay." He stopped. He had to process what he'd been agreeing to suddenly. Something hadn't sounded right. "What did you say?"

"What? Duo wants to play our music so I think we should hire a DJ instead."

"No, before that."

Relena started laughing loudly. She had finally gotten his attention. She hated that she was planning this wedding by herself. He was the one to propose to her after all. He should be helping her.

"Just wanted to make sure you were listening, dear."


	12. Kiss

Kiss

"Remember our first kiss?" Heero whispered in her ear.

"You'd call that a kiss?"

"From the bright red blush on your face I know that you remember and enjoyed that kiss too. Don't try to fool me."

"You kissed me for a second and then left! I didn't see you again for months until Mariemaia showed up."

"It wasn't personal. You were busy and so was I."

"I would have found time for you." She said softly. She hated sounding desperate in front of him.

"I couldn't ask that of you. We're not that busy anymore. I think a few years to get use to peace helped us."

"I guess, but it would have been nice to see you every once in a while and _not_ when I was in peril."

Heero laughed loudly. She was the only one that could really make him laugh from his chest and not his short, throaty laugh Duo and Trowa got. "That's the only time you really needed me."

"Negative, Heero Yuy. I always needed you."

He sighed, "The past is the past. I apologize for misunderstanding your strength and now I wish I could go back and be around you more."

"Okay, apology accepted." She smiled, adjusting the skirt of her dress away from her feet. It was time to walk down the aisle. They'd been legally married for about two minutes now and had yet to make their exit. She was sure the guests were watching them, wondering why they were still standing up there talking. They were married now! They should be running out of the church to be alone.

A low chuckle brought them back to the moment. Duo was standing there, bible in hand. "I thought my wedding was bad, but Hilde and I didn't argue while still in the church."

**I really don't know why I'm updating so much, but I don't think anyone's really going to complain. I was asked to write the wedding. This is what came out. I might add more later on. I think weddings can be hilarious. Anyway, if you have any ideas for a scene, let me know. I usually write these things with nothing really in mind but a funny line.**


	13. Dinosaurs

**Reminder: None of these stories take place in chronological order. I'll be working on the wedding reception next. **

Dinosaurs

"Roar!" a tiny voice squealed down the hallway.

Relena couldn't help but smile. It wasn't until a deep voice roared as well, following the tiny footsteps that she laughed loudly. She reached for her camera, peeking out of her door to find the source of noise. At the end of the hall stood a little girl with dark brown hair, dressed in a pink tutu and a tall man with the same brown hair, dressed in a tutu as well.

She didn't have time to focus the camera, she was just going to have to aim and click before her husband caught her spying. She was lucky that it was light enough that she didn't need a flash. They weren't in her room, but standing closely together at the end of the hallway. She was sure the little girl was instructing her father how to play exactly right. She was such a bossy little thing.

Heero shifted, making it obvious that the tutu was incredibly small around his waist and tied loosely around his neck was a cape. Relena really wanted another picture, but he would see her for sure. It was better to be caught with eyes only. She put the camera back on the side table, not looking away from the scene.

"Momma, play too." Zoe was fast, standing in front of the door. Relena hadn't even seen the girl move. Zoe definitely had inherited her father's speed.

Relena nodded, "What are we playing?"

"Dinosaurs!" The little girl ran away, clearly indicating her mother was to follow.

She stepped out into the hallway completely now, still smiling widely.

"I'm glad she doesn't like princesses. The tutu is about all the girly-ness as I can take." Heero said softly in her ear.

"I'm sorry I bought her that doll the other day. I just thought she might like it." She couldn't help but laugh. Zoe had beheaded and colored the doll within the first ten minutes of receiving it. Her favorite toys were cars, trains, and dinosaurs.

"Who needs a boy when we have Zoe?" Heero laughed.

**My daughter is Zoe. She bosses me around all day long. I never play the correct way, either. However, I laugh constantly when she's around.**


	14. Flowers

**Thanks for all the reviews again! I love them all! They definitely keep me writing.**

Flowers

Relena was suspicious. This was the third place that had flowers awaiting her. She knew who they were from; there wasn't any doubt about that. But, why? Why was Heero sending her flowers to her office and her limousine and now her home?

The only thing she could ask herself was what had he done now? It wasn't an anniversary of any sort. It wasn't her birthday. It had to be him trying to apologize for something. Had he and Duo destroyed her lawn again?

This was so infuriating. She didn't like surprises. Dorothy tried to throw her a surprise birthday party that Relena simply walked out of once everyone revealed themselves. She hadn't been in the mood and was majorly disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to walk around her empty house naked, like she had wanted to. So, random flowers were not something Relena was going to handle well.

She sighed, throwing the third bouquet back on her bed; the tiny card only saying again that Heero loved her. This couldn't possibly be Heero's doing. Duo must be up to something. They hadn't been fighting. There was no need for this.

Relena removed her heels, sighing heavily from the instant relief her feet felt. She needed a warm bath and her bottle of wine. That would certainly help her figure out the situation with the flowers.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her waist, startling her. "Do you like them?"

She knew who it was, but that didn't stop the total pacifist from spinning around and punching her Gundam pilot boyfriend in the face.

She hated surprises.

**A.N. I'm going on vacation this week so I won't be updating. I'm sure I'll be writing since it's a nine hour drive, but I won't post anything new. Again, insomnia is my nemesis at night. I should be trying to sleep, but funny scenarios happen in my head and I HAVE to write them or else I'll forget. **

**(Heero was just being nice. I didn't think he should have done anything wrong to give her flowers. Just some more silliness from me. Sorry I didn't elaborate.)**


	15. Dinner

Dinner

Today was a special day for Heero and Relena, according to their American friend, Duo. Today was their anniversary and it was a day to celebrate. Heero had no clue what was needed to celebrate. A few of his colleagues suggested dinner and a movie, along with a small gift. Heero had only given Relena teddy bears as gifts, but that was for her birthday. Anniversaries weren't a time for teddy bears.

He wasn't creative at all and never claimed to be. He thought of jewelry for her, but then realized that he had no idea what she liked. She didn't wear much jewelry to begin with. He thought to buy her flowers, but she didn't like flowers much either. He was at a loss. Dinner would be fine…but he didn't know what she liked to eat either. Pagan always cooked for them and she seemed to eat it without a second thought.

Heero wasn't the type to cook.

"Where would you like to go for dinner?" Heero asked, propping his torso up against the headboard.

"I don't know. You pick." Relena sighed, stretching her legs across Heero's lap.

"No, you're picky so you need to decide."

"I'm not picky!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Fine. How about Mexican food?"

"No, I don't like that." She huffed.

Heero smiled slightly, "How about Chinese?"

"No, I don't like that either."

Heero sighed heavily, "See? You are picky."

Relena stopped for a moment, pondering. "Oh my God…I _am_ picky!"

Heero laughed loudly, moving closer to her.

"How about Italian?" Relena suggested.

"No, I don't like that."

"See! You're picky too!" Relena yelled in triumph.

**A.N.: Okay, I promised to update when I got back from vacation. It's not amazing, but it's something. I'm still working on the wedding reception. I'm also thinking of another pregnancy story. IDK though. Thanks for all the reviews! Vacation was awesome! I got to celebrate my divorce with my closest friends so it was awesome!**


	16. Body Heat

Body Heat

The body heat was excruciating. There was no way to sleep that was comfortable. One leg out. Both legs out. No covers. No clothes on. Nothing seemed to help the heat. It was unbearable now. Every minute that the heat was in the same bed, there was no sleep coming. Even the ceiling fan on high wasn't helping.

By three in the morning, temptation to sleep on the floor was almost overwhelming. The knowledge that there would be hell to pay in the morning was the only reason to _not_ sleep on the uncomfortable floor. It was useless. It would simply be easier to pull an all-nighter.

Regardless of the heat, there wasn't even a comfortable position to sleep. Right side. Left. Side. Back. Stomach. Fetal position. Arm and leg dangling off the bed. Nothing.

Sleep was futile.

This should become routine, however. Once the baby was born there would be many sleepless nights.

The body full of heat moved, exuding even more heat. It was like getting hit in the face with a furnace. Temptation won. The stiff floor was better than the horrendous heat.

"Where are you going?"

"The floor."

"Why?"

"You're too hot."

"Liar! It's because I'm fat. I'm sorry I take up the entire bed." Relena cried. "I can't help how big I've gotten."

Heero sighed heavily, lying down in the bed again. "You're not fat. I have plenty of room on the bed, so don't worry."

"Why do you want to sleep on the floor instead of next to me, then?" She asked through her sobs.

Relena only cried randomly at night. For some reason she was always able to keep it in check at work, but once it was time for bed, anything set her off. The other night, she cried about how tight her slippers had become. She hadn't realized that she was wearing the guest slippers. Heero could handle it though. Postpartum couldn't be any worse than her nighttime fits.

Heero smiled reassuringly at his wife, "She's turned you into a furnace. I can't sleep while I'm sweating profusely."

Relena stopped crying instantly. "Now you know how I always feel sleeping next to you." She paused only for a second. "Yeah, sleep on the floor. I'm sick of you keeping me up."

**A.N.: This is a little better, I think. I tried to stay away from a lot of dialogue this time. Hopefully this meets everyone's approval! **


	17. Girl Talk

Girl Talk

"I'm not evil. I'm vindictive." Dorothy said simply, brushing her long blonde hair off her shoulder. "And, in all honesty, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I know you wouldn't. You enjoy striking fear into small children. That's what makes you so unique." Relena smiled kindly at her friend.

"Don't snub me, _Queen_ Relena. I wasn't handed the entire world to me on a silver platter. I have to take the things I want."

"That's quite enough, Dorothy. You know damn well I didn't want become Queen." Relena had to bite her tongue. She still wasn't sure why she was friends with Dorothy after all these years. The woman never did anything good for her.

Dorothy sighed heavily, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "You're right. I don't know what came over me. Are you still interested in going for lunch? It has been a long time since we've talked."

"We have lunch once a week, Dorothy."

"The men are usually with us, though. It makes conversation topics rather dull."

"It wasn't that bad. I think they knew to ignore anything we said. I know Heero didn't listen to you at all."

"He never does. I'm beginning to think he hates me." She said, leaning back in Relena's guest chair.

Relena couldn't say anything. He did hate her, but Relena was too kind to actually say it to her face. She needed to change the subject. If she squirmed from discomfort in front of the blonde terror she would then be forced to speak the truth. Relena was a good liar when no one was paying attention. "How's Quatre?"

"Sensitive and boring, as usual." Dorothy said lazily.

"He's not boring, Dorothy and you know it. You are married to him after all. I doubt you would marry him if you thought he was boring. You don't strike me as the type to marry for money."

"You're right!" Dorothy smiled again. "I'm just upset that he's ignoring me all the time now. He's so busy with this campaign and it's taking away from me. I practically have to rape him if I want sex."

Relena couldn't hide her burning red cheeks. Dorothy was always so straight forward about her sex life and it made Relena uncomfortable. "He is busy. It won't be much longer."

"How often do you and Heero have sex? I'm starting to think we've hit a dry spell."

The Vice Foreign Minister was speechless.

"Once a day isn't working for me anymore. I want this campaign to end."

"You think once a day is a dry spell?"

Dorothy nodded, still grim faced.

"That's a bit excessive. How do you find the time to do it more than once?"

"Oh, Miss Relena….we're not married to our jobs like you are. I feel bad for Heero, though. You both work all the time. For a while there I thought it was just the same rumor that you two were together without actually being. I guess whatever works for you." She shrugged.

"Don't criticize my relationship and work habits. For all you know we have sex everyday as well."

"But you don't." There was the evil grin spreading across her pale face again.

_Pacifist. You're a Pacifist. You can't hurt her. Pacifist. Pacifist._ Relena though fervently. One of the only things that made Relena want to give up pacifism was Dorothy's grin. That grin that was omniscient and pure evil, Relena wanted to smack it off her face.

A knock interrupted them and Relena thanked the high heavens that it was her secretary. Her meeting with the L3 Representative came early.

"Sorry, Dorothy. Maybe we can do lunch again some other time." She said as politely as she could.

"Next week. I think I struck enough anger into your life until next week." Dorothy smiled and walked out of the office. "Maybe I should find some children to prey on."

**A.N.: Man, I love Dorothy. This is a bit longer than I intended, but I couldn't stop writing. I should do more with Dorothy. I'm sorry I haven't written the honeymoon or reception yet. I don't seem to have any inspiration with those. **


	18. Cake

**Here it is! The wedding reception!**

Cake

Heero growled angrily.

The top of the wedding cake was missing. It shouldn't have been missing. It was sitting on a plate behind everything else so he and Relena could take it home to eat a year later. Heero didn't know a lot of traditions, but he knew this one. There were over two hundred guests in the banquet room so there were plenty of suspects.

But, it was best to start with the most likely.

Duo.

His American was behind all of his musical equipment, sorting through all of the songs to dance to. Heero looked around, trying to find his bride. She was dancing with Trowa, oblivious to everyone else which made it easier for Gundam pilot 01 to run across the room, gripping his friend's shirt tightly.

"Hey buddy!" Duo said, unfazed by the attack.

"Where's the cake?"

Duo looked over Heero's shoulder, "On the table where it always has been."

"I know you ate the top tier of it. It was going to be saved, Duo!"

"No way! I haven't had any of the cake yet. I've been trying to get the music set up before I ate."

Heero leaned in closer, breathing his friend's breath. From a stranger's viewpoint it might have looked like they were about to kiss, but Heero didn't care. Duo ate the cake.

However, his breath still smelled like minty toothpaste and champagne. No fondant was detectable.

The next suspect would be Quatre. Maybe Dorothy; she would hide the cake just for amusement… but it wasn't torturous enough.

His blonde friend was standing by the balcony doors, talking to some political guests Heero had never spoken to. It was harder to get to him quickly since Heero had to weave in between all the guests. Occasionally he would have to stop and take all the congratulatory comments from random people he didn't know and a few he did. Relena invited a majority of the guests. He would have been okay with just the other pilots and their loved ones.

Heero watched as the delegates left Quatre, freeing him to be pummeled. Heero resisted the desire, but stood only inches away.

Quatre simply smiled at him, "Congratulations Heero."

"Where's the cake?"

04 blinked confusedly.

"Did your wife eat the top of the cake?" Heero asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh! No, but you can find the culprits on the balcony." Quatre laughed, pushing past Heero.

Heero pushed open the doors immediately. Quatre was a bad look out. Whoever was eating his cake obviously deserved to be caught. Heero was still surprised that Duo wasn't the one eating it.

It was night now; the reception had been going on for a couple hours now. Heero and Relena had already had their dance along with Zechs and Relena. Noin decided to dance with Heero since he didn't have family. Heero shuddered every time he remembered he was now related to Zechs.

He didn't have to walk far to find the culprits. His eyes widened at the sight. The top tier was on a table, cut into smaller pieces with two forks digging ravenously into it.

"This is great cake, Heero!" Sally said with cake tucked into her cheeks.

Wufei nodded, not removing his eyes from the white fondant.

**(A.N.) I really wanted someone else to piss Heero off instead of Duo. The real culprit was going to be Quatre, but Wufei needs some attention too. Hope you liked it!**

**I think I might want to write a real story. I have a couple plots in mind for the infamous couple, but we'll see. Honeymoon should be written soon.**


	19. Young

Young

She was drunk, again.

They had only been on their honeymoon for three days and she had been completely drunk the entire time. Regardless if he took her wine away or the bottle of tequila, she always found another. He was convinced she had stashed some somewhere. Heero had searched the room and refrigerator for the alcohol, but couldn't find them. All he ever saw was juices, tea and carbonated drinks.

Currently, she was sprawled out on the bed, legs dangling off the side, singing off key some melody he wasn't familiar with. He was almost tempted to join her in her alcohol tirade, at least then he wouldn't feel like he would have to be a babysitter.

"Relena…"

"Oh Heero, isn't this wonderful? I'm having so much fun."

He didn't think a response was necessary. He walked over to the bed, settling beside her; the bottle of warm tequila still in her hand. She snaked her free arm around his waist, nuzzling her face into his back. He couldn't complain about her drunken affections. If they had left to room, he was sure she would still have been all over him.

"Don't you think you've had enough to drink?" Heero said gently.

"No, Heero, I don't. This is the only time I am able to drink freely so I'm taking advantage of it."

"What do you mean?" He asked, adjusting so he could lie down next to her. He was trying incredibly hard not to start an argument on their honeymoon.

"We both grew up too fast. I was never able to enjoy all the small, carefree things my friends were able to. I don't regret doing any of it, but there are still moments that I like to indulge in these things." She sighed, cozying up to his chest. "I didn't even get to celebrate my twenty first. Most people go crazy, but I worked all day. I had an important speech to write and five meetings that day."

He remained silent, letting her talk. He found it best not to respond to her serious discussions. When she was sober, she wasn't so moody.

She took another drink before she continued, "I think how our lives turned out is fantastic, but we should cut loose sometimes. Especially you." She jabbed a finger into his chest.

"I know. I think you've had enough to drink, though."

She took another drink quickly, jumping off the bed to dodge his extended his hand. She was laughing, running in the opposite direction, quickly turning it into a childish game of chase. But, for some reason, Heero was smiling as well. Childish as it may seem, he was enjoying himself. He didn't know when the last time he was 'silly'.

She ran to the bathroom, trying to quickly lock the door, but he was fast. Shoving a foot in between the door and wall, he growled her name even though he was smiling.

"You're a Debbie Downer!" She took another drink, larger this time.

"Maybe I think you need to work on your sharing skills."

"Share?"

Heero nodded, knowing she'd see him in the mirror. As expected, she opened the door wider, handing him the half empty bottle. He watched her as he raised the bottle to his lips. The moment it made contact, she smiled widely, almost mischievously.

The liquid filled his mouth and he had no choice but to swallow. He's had alcohol a couple times before in his life, thanks to Duo. What filled his mouth was not tequila. He pulled the bottle away, startled. Relena burst into fits of laughter.

"I haven't been drunk! That would ruin our honeymoon, _dear_." She took the bottle away from him, pushing past him to exit the bathroom. "I do enjoy my tea, though."

"Why hide the tea in a tequila bottle?"

"Fun and games." She shrugged.

**A.N.: So, I think this will be my last one shot for The Stare Down, at least for a while. I'm going to be working on something a little more serious. Something that actually has a timeline and a plot. These were fun and I love everyone who has reviewed and followed this story! Thank you so much. **

**I'm going to put the status as complete, but maybe I'll get hit by the humor bat again and write another one shot eventually. **

**I had a serious discussion with a close friend of mine and he said something hurtful about my writing. So, now I have to give my ego a little TLC…. I won't stop writing though. Heero and Relena are a lot of fun, but I need to focus on my original work too.**

**Thank you all! **


	20. Bravery

**Well, look what we have here! A brand new one shot for The Stare Down!? **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Bravery

Relena and Dorothy were sitting on the stone bench outside in the garden. Iced tea was warming in the sunlight, almost forgotten as the girls talked. Sometimes, it was like they were still just teenagers in school. In these rare moments, they would forget that Relena was Vice Foreign Minister and Dorothy was, well, she was underground at the moment, but she was still working hard to clear the Catalonia/Dermail name. Romafeller had been overthrown, so she had to take the time and pick up the pieces.

Every once in a while she had to get advice from her friend.

Relena knew that Dorothy was trying to make amends, but she could feel that Dorothy was also using her to help the diminished reputation_. If a Catalonia was friends with the Peacecraft princess then she must be a good person! _Relena didn't mind, though. She was willing to help her.

However, Relena needed Dorothy's help too. The platinum blonde woman had more guts than she did and what she was about to ask required quite a bit of valor.

"Dorothy," she said, looking out towards the flowers to make sure their eyes wouldn't make contact while she asked, "I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"This is going to sound so silly, but… how do you ask a guy out?"

Relena heard her laugh lightly, almost choking as she took a drink of her tea. "What do you mean?"

She frowned. She wasn't going to repeat herself when she knew the woman had heard her.

"Ugh, why would you want to ask a guy out? If a man is interested then he'll ask you out." Dorothy said omnisciently.

"What if he doesn't know I like him?"

This time Dorothy did laugh out loud. Relena continued her frown at her friend, wondering what was so hilarious.

"Everyone knows who you like, Miss Relena. Even _he_ knows, but he's just as shy as you are."

"I don't think it's shyness he's suffering from. I just want to know how I should ask him since he won't ask me."

Dorothy cupped her index finger and thumb over her chin as if in deep thought. Relena saw the blank expression, implying that she wasn't thinking at all. This woman's wheels turned faster than anyone she'd ever known. She didn't need a lot of time to think of clever and mischievous plans.

Relena stayed silent, waiting. She wouldn't prod the woman when she was getting nearly desperate for a suggestion. She kept her eyes on the garden, trying to sort through her thoughts. She would have to prepare herself for the more extreme suggestions Dorothy would more than likely make, but she was running out of ideas. She had been subtle. She had tried the reverse psychology as well. She pulled the diplomatic card. Nothing was working. She knew the only way to get through his thick skull was to be direct.

The most direct, no bullshit person she knew was now sitting next to her, pretending to think.

Out through the garden, she spotted a man moving around. More than likely he was a security guard checking the perimeter of her estate. They always went in rounds, every two hours they walked the walls. As the man moved closer, she noticed the unruly brown hair. She had to swallow, hoping he hadn't heard any of their conversation.

"Heero!" Dorothy yelled suddenly, making Relena jump.

He stopped moving, looking towards them. He nodded and then continued walking.

"Hey! Will you go out with Relena?" She cupped her mouth, still shouting across the grounds.

Relena's eyes widened in pure shock and her face burned scarlet. She hid her face in her hands, immediately regretting asking her _friend_ for help. She wasn't going to witness the rejection he would more than likely give. He was all work and no play kind of guy, much like herself.

Dorothy suddenly nudged Relena in the ribs.

"What the hell was that!?" Relena had to force herself not to scream.

Dorothy tried to look innocent as she shrugged. "You wanted to ask him out, so I did it for you."

"I thought you would be slyer about it. Never mind, you are nothing but frankness. Now he'll never talk to me again."

The long haired woman frowned, "He said yes."

* * *

**A.N. I've done this to my friends so many times and vice versa. It's embarrassing but hilarious afterward. Hope you liked it.**


	21. Break Up

**Had this crazy idea and had to write it down because it was hilarious! Enjoy**

* * *

Break Up

"I have something important to talk to you about." She said, eyes averted towards the mahogany desk.

She was only met with complete silence, causing her to bite her bottom lip nervously.

"I don't think this is working out between us anymore. I met someone else and he's amazing." She said, eyes still focusing in the desk. "Actually, I've known him for a while and we seem to click together better. It would seem silly when I tell you who it is."

She paused, waiting for a reply, but knowing she wouldn't receive one.

"It's really not you. You've been great, but I can only see us as friends. You've been so loyal throughout the years and I have nothing but gratitude for it. We've never been able to move forward in our relationship and it's time for a change."

She sighed when silence followed. This was the worst break up she had ever had to do. She had heard that break ups were hard to do no matter what, but the silence was what was making it so much harder on her.

"I hope you won't have any hard feelings towards me about this. I honestly think it's best for the both of us. I just hope we can stay friends after all of this."

Finally, she brought her gaze up and stared into the beady eyes. They were scrutinizing her intently. She held the gaze though. She would have to make it through this on one piece.

"Who are you talking to?" A deep voice asked from the shadows suddenly.

"Amicus." She said, not breaking the eye contact.

She heard precise footsteps move closer to her desk. Suddenly, her ex was lifted from the desk and tossed by calloused and scared hands.

"You're breaking up with the teddy bear I gave you for your birthday?"

She nodded, "I had to break the news to him that you and I are together and he won't need to snuggle with me any longer."

"It's an inanimate object, Relena. It won't care that I'm here."

She smiled, leaning back into her chair and looking up into the dark blue eyes she has always been so fond of.


	22. First Date

**Oh you know, just another random update for The Stare Down. Enjoy it! **

* * *

First Date

Heero sat across from Relena at the dining table. The music was soft, almost inaudible and the chatter of the other customers was whispers. He was uncomfortable, but he said he was willing to go anywhere she wanted. The dressier clothes on him was shocking and he seemed completely out of place, but that was because she knew he never wore anything like this willingly. She had to coerce him into the school uniform at the Sanc Kingdom and she almost wished she'd seen the argument she was sure happened when he transferred to St. Gabriel's. Relena, however, was perfectly comfortable in her navy blue dress. She wore the color because it held memories of him. She only thought it would be appropriate.

They had been sitting at the table for fifteen minutes now and the only words that had been spoken were to order the entrees and drinks. She was very understanding, but it was getting ridiculous that he hadn't spoken to her. He was the one who asked her out for dinner, after all. She cleared her throat, trying to cue that it was time for conversation.

However, she forgot that he lacked the social skills and he would only have assumed she was honestly clearing her throat.

Once the waiter brought their second refill of drinks she had had enough. "So, Heero, how has working with Preventers been?"

"Busy." Short and straight to the point like always.

"Are you enjoying working for Une?" She tried again.

"Sure."

She let out a heavy sigh, "Why is this so awkward for us? We've only been friends since we were fifteen. I don't understand why this is any different?"

At her words, Heero's blue eyes made contact with hers and she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. "I'm….nervous."

"Why? It's just me."

"It's you on a date with me. Not only did I never think this would happen, but it was also very sudden. I didn't expect Dorothy to be the one asking me out for you."

She let out a nervous giggle and felt her cheeks flush. "Sorry about that."

"It's all right." And just like that he killed the conversation.

She watched him fidget with the cloth napkin for a few more minutes before she asked, "Why did you think you would never go on a date with me?"

She never got over his eyes or the deepness of his voice.

"You're busy saving the world."

Now she couldn't respond. It was the truth. She always denied date offers because her work was much too important. She hated being biased, but she would always save some of her time just for Heero if he needed her. Not that he ever actually admitted needing her in any way. There were some days he would randomly show up at her office and just sit and watch her work. He rarely spoke a word to her, but just observed. She assumed he was making sure she wasn't overexerting herself and keeping herself healthy. He was always so concerned about her health.

His voice brought her out of her daydream suddenly when he asked the one question she had been waiting for. "So, why did you choose to go out and eat fast food on our date?"

* * *

**I don't think Relena likes the fancy restaurants that much. I have another one shot written, but it needs some tweaking before I share it with you all.**


	23. Christmas

**I love Christmas!**

Christmas

She stood there, staring at the faux needle branches, thinking. He was unknotting the strings of light that she had unceremoniously thrown into the box last year. As much of a perfectionist as she was, when it time to get out of the holiday spirit, she was sloppy. Every year she would find more ornaments broken at the bottom of the box and would then have to spend more money to replace them. However, the ornaments that actually meant something were kept in a separate box.

"This side could be fluffier." She said, pointing towards an already full side. Relena loved Christmas and everything it represented.

"Why couldn't we have just gotten a _real_ tree?" Heero asked, growing steadily frustrated with the lights.

"We've had this tree for years. Why would I get rid of it for a real one that dies?" She answered without even looking at him. She leaned into the tree, trying to bend the metal limbs more.

"I think it's full, Relena. Can we put the ornaments on now?"

"Absolutely not! The lights have to go on first then the sentimental ornaments then the decorative ones. There is a method to this." She explained.

"Hn."

"Have you ever celebrated Christmas like this?"

"No." Heero finally untangled the lights. He felt victorious and held the strands of lights up so Relena could see.

"What do you usually do for Christmas then?" Relena asked, ignoring her boyfriend's triumph.

"Nothing. I haven't had time to celebrate Christmas."

"I understand during the war, but what about when you were younger?"

"I don't know." He paused, still holding the strands up, waiting.

The young diplomat continued to ignore him and would randomly tug and pull at the branches. Giving up, Heero squatted down and pretended to continue untangle the lights.

"Well, this will be the best Christmas ever for you! We can make gingerbread houses, listen to Christmas carols all day long, and have hot chocolate every day." Relena said excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"I don't know." Heero shrugged, "I still think ending the war was the best Christmas ever. Talk about victory."

"Heero Yuy, you are going to enjoy this Christmas!" She turned to look at her stoic boyfriend.

"Well, I don't know if I will. It hasn't happened yet, so I can't say I enjoyed it. So far, you just have me untangle lights while you stare at a fake tree and say it's Christmas."

Relena let her mouth hang open, "It's the beginning of Christmas. You have to have Christmas spirit to put the tree up and know that it'll be beautiful when it's complete. So many families decorate their trees together because it's a wonderful bonding opportunity and…"

"We're bonding all right." Heero couldn't hide a smirk when he spoke.

"Why are you so mean?"

Heero held up the lights, now hoping to get the victory he had been waiting for. Relena huffed heavily, taking the lights from him. That was not what he was going for, but getting the infuriating lights away from him was the second best thing.

They continued to decorate in silence. It took another half hour to finish the final touches. Finally, Heero bent down to plug in the lights. Relena stood back with a very pleased smile on her lips.

Before Heero plugged them in, Relena spoke, "Thank for helping Heero. I would have gotten frustrated and thrown the lights away. The tree looks wonderful."

Now feeling like a true victor, Heero let a small smile grace his lips, "This is starting to be the best Christmas."

He plugged the lights in. He waited for her to gasp from the beauty of it, but it never came. Heero took a step back and stared at an obvious unlit tree.

**Here's some Christmas spirit for everyone. **


	24. Christmas Party

**Happy Christmas everyone!**

* * *

Christmas Party

Relena placed the last of the silverware on the table, smiling. She was very pleased that the evening was going exactly as planned. Chefs in the kitchen were busy cooking for the elaborate Christmas dinner that she had planned. The decorations were put up and all of her favorite Christmas songs were echoing in every room. She even started a fire in the study, hoping that after dinner her guests would find their way in there and enjoy each other's company. This was the first Christmas in a long time where everyone would be able to celebrate together. The past years were just a hit and miss. Some people showed up when they could, others showed up months later.

This year, Relena demanded Lady Une not to assign anyone anything until after the holidays.

Hopefully everyone had received her invitations. She wasn't sure if anyone was coming, but she wasn't going to let the lack of RSVPs get her holiday spirit down. She was sure at least one person would stop by.

The clock struck 6 p.m. and she found herself walking into the entryway to meet her guests. She was used to standing in one spot for hours at a time for all of the meetings or campaigns she was required to attend for work, but now after five minutes, she began to pace. They were late.

Quatre was never late.

Duo and Heero were always late, so it wasn't surprising.

Trowa was never late either.

She doubted Wufei would show up unless Sally dragged him into the house by his ear.

Even Noin and Milliardo were late.

Relena began to wring her hands together. Surely her hopes of a Christmas spent together with old friends wouldn't be a waste. She gave up visiting her depressed and adoptive mother to spend time with the people who understood her the most. She heard Pagan enter the entryway behind her. At least she would be able to spend Christmas with him.

"Miss Relena, the chef has dinner ready. Should I go ahead and send the servers out with the food?"

"Please tell him to wait just a few more minutes, Pagan." She forced a smile.

She stepped closer to the door after each minute passed. All of her hopes for a wonderful Christmas Eve were falling. Maybe it was always going to be impossible to get all of them together. She was definitely surprised Heero wasn't here yet, though. As well as Quatre.

"Man! What's taking her so long?" Shouted a jovial voice from down the hall.

At the sound of the all too familiar voice, she followed it into her dining room. As she slid the doors open, she was greeted by everyone plus more. Dorothy had accompanied Quatre. Hilde and Duo were together, as usual. Trowa even brought his sister, Catherine along. Noin and Milliardo stood in the corner, talking to Sally and Wufei. Then she spotted Heero, standing at the head of the table, talking to Lady Une and Mariemaia.

"Relena!" Quatre shouted, alerting every one of her entrance.

"Merry Christmas, Relena!" The entire room shouted.

* * *

**Didn't really want to make this hilarious, but more on the sweet side. I love Christmas!**


	25. The Stairs

The Stairs

"I had a question for you, Heero." Relena asked as nonchalantly as she could while she climbed the steep stairs. She had never thought her briefcase could feel so heavy until she was on the ninth floor and still climbing. Heero walked ahead of her at a speedy pace. Her high heels clipped loudly against the marble stairs. She tried to control her breathing and keep pace with her bodyguard. Relena never considered herself unfit, but she knew she was never much of an athlete.

Heero grunted, signaling to her that he had heard her. His breathing hadn't changed and he wasn't acting as if he was about to fall over from the exertion.

"Last night," She continued, taking deep breathes, "When you said you liked me…what did you mean?"

He didn't respond. Once he reached the landing for the twelfth floor, he stopped and watched her. Small beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but as she wiped them away she acted like she was simply brushing her hair away from her face. The final step, she looked up into his eyes, still expecting an answer.

She watched as his eyes darted across her face as he searched for an answer. It wasn't a difficult question and it certainly didn't require a complex answer.

"I don't know what you mean?" Heero finally said.

"I just asked what you meant when you said you liked me. It's not hard, Heero."

"I like you. I like you means I like you." He shoved his hands into his denim pockets, avoiding her eyes.

"What kind of like? I mean, we had that date the other night, but you haven't asked me back out since then." Her breathing finally calmed down and she adjusted her aqua tie.

"What does that mean?"

She let out a heavy huff. She didn't understand why this was so hard for him to answer. All she wanted to know was if he liked her as a friend or, potentially, more.

"Listen, I like you. I know I don't show it that often, but you are on my mind quite often. I think about you during business meetings and conference calls. Most nights, I'll lie in bed and think about what you're doing or how your day was." She flipped her hair out of her suit jacket. "Is that how you like me, too?"

Heero began to stammer, "Well, yeah…I mean…I thought I had made that pretty clear that I like you like that. When I'm not thinking about you as a mission I'm thinking about you as a person and whether or not we could keep doing this for the rest of our lives."

Taken aback, Relena smiled. "That's all I wanted to know." She reached for the door handle that would lead into the auditorium for her speech. "I feel so guilty for asking that now. It's almost like I tortured you."

* * *

**Stemmed from a conversation I had last night. I honestly didn't know what he was asking me! LOL**


	26. Bright and Cheerful

Bright and Cheerful

Relena was lying on her plush, queen size bed in an indecent manner. A soft snoring sound came from her throat and a tiny line of drool was trickling down her cheek. She looked as if she had literally fallen asleep standing and had somehow managed to land on her bed. The enormous down comforter was tangled around her arms. Her skin was the only thing that showed signs of why she was sleeping in such a manner. Her usual rosy cheeks were pale. Her once tamed and sleek hair was in tangled around her head, haloing her. Her usual disposition was always so bright and cheerful, but now she looked sickly and dull.

A figure moved from the shadows, moving closer to the bed. As if the soft sounds of footsteps were the loudest sound in the world, Relena woke with a start. She looked around for the source while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Once her eyes focused on the intruder, she nodded and collapsed back onto the bed.

Frightened, the figure froze beside her nightstand; a small bowl of steaming soup was set onto the table. The figure twitched towards the door, but decided to help the Vice Foreign Minister. Arms lifted the ill woman's legs, placing them in the correct position on the bed. The comforter was pulled back and slipped over her body. A gentle hand brushed the blonde strands of hair away from her face and down around her head. Another brush of the finger tips told the intruder that she had a fever, enough to make sweat form on her forehead and soak her bangs.

A heavy sigh was released from Relena as she moved closer to the hand, which froze, unable to move away from the woman but unwilling to move closer. It was quite obvious that the person hovering over the former Queen of the world was conflicted. Conflicted to hold the woman and comfort her until the fever broke, but that scene would be very unlikely to happen. As the figure finally stopped fighting with their mind and turned to leave the bedroom, a small and shaky hand reached out.

The figure froze, dark blue eyes staring down at the blonde woman. She hadn't opened her eyes, but held onto the hand that was still hanging in the air from brushing her hair away. A small smile graced her lips as she pulled the hand closer, rubbing her burning skin against it.

She sighed and whispered, "Heero."

Heero Yuy waited until her hand weakened before pulling it out of her grasp. For some strange reason, he was never certain, that was all he ever needed from her to know that she did still need him around. She had asked him to visit her more; now he lived with her whenever there wasn't a Preventer mission and he couldn't imagine having anywhere else to call home.

Of course, he never spoke this out loud, but his one insecurity was that she would no longer need or want him around. Only in her sleep did his fear subside as she usually whispered his name or ask for him to stay just a little longer. Those were the moments that he would smile wide enough to expose his teeth.


	27. Sleep

Sleep

Heero had never been one to require all that much sleep. Fifteen minutes here, fifteen minutes there all throughout the war was all he really needed. Towards the end of the war, after he decided to let _Queen_ Relena live, he didn't sleep. Everything from that moment on was chaotic and nearly havoc for Heero. He slept a total of five minutes until Libra had been completely destroyed and he knew Relena was safe that he could fall asleep for hours.

Peace allowed him to sleep like a normal human being. Peace allowed his body to relax and get all the sleep that he had denied himself since he was a child. Of course, peace was something that had to settle with him first. Two years with the occasional catastrophe and he was getting six hours of sleep every night.

Of course, that as before he and Relena decided to have a child.

Two hours into his deep and restful sleep the monitor shone bright green and infant wails broke through the bedroom. He groaned, turning away from the monitor. Relena woke easier and she climbed out of bed, feet dragging against the carpet. Heero tossed to his side, arm covering his face. He was asleep again in minutes.

The monitor wailed again and Heero bolted upright. Relena had just gone to feed her, he had been sure of it. He looked around the room and saw Relena fast asleep beside him. Heero relaxed, but decided to go to his daughter instead of waking Relena. She was going back to work in a few days and he would have to learn how to manage the baby by himself. He had never really been alone with her since she was born. Relena had always hovered over him when he would hold her. He didn't mind. He wasn't naturally gentle, but when he would hold his daughter, gentleness was the first thing on his mind.

He went to the nursery and picked his screaming daughter up. She kicked and flailed, wanting fed instantly. He managed to make it to the kitchen without causing Zoe to scream in fits of horror. Relena would always wake when she screamed like that. Heero warmed up the bottle and slowly went back to the nursery. He knew how to do it all. He didn't like the thought, but if anything were to happen to Relena, in the off chance he wasn't able to protect her, he had to know how to take care of their daughter. He turned on the dancing stars nightlight and rocked her as she ate.

Big, dark blue eyes stared up at him and he smiled. In a hushed voice, he started talking to her. "Hi Zoe. Did you sleep well? You're quite beautiful, did you know that?"

As his voice vibrated through his chest and against the baby, her eyes began to droop. Something about his voice soothed her to sleep and he continued to talk to her, even when her little mouth rejected the bottle and made soft snoring sounds from her little nose.

* * *

**I love the father Heero. :D**

**Makes me want a man like him.**


End file.
